Rail-joint.



W. P. & S. G. THOMSON.

-RAIL JOINT. Y APPLICATION FILED DEU'. 27, 1907.

Y Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

wrrnsssss 4 posed between theniand the outer` splicing UNH-ED sTATns Parnu oracion WIILLmm'P. 'rHoMsoN am) SAMUEL THQMSoar, or PHLADELrHiA, PENNSYLVANIA, j A ssIsNons To TnoMsoN-THQMSQN comunity, or PHILADELPHM, PENNSYLVANIA,

A PARTNERSHIP.

RAIL-.J 01N T.

lb all wlwm t ma/y concern: f

Be it known that we, WILLIAM P. THOM son and SAMUEL Gr.` THOMSON, .of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the followin is a full, clear, and exact description, re erence being had tothe,

accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in 'which :r

Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views illus- ,trating different forms of our improved joint; Fig. 3 is a side elevation;y and Figs. 4, 5,5, and are sectional views show ing other forms of the joint, and hereinafter vmore' fully described.

Our invention has lrelation to the class of rail joints, and is designed to afford a stiff insulated joint, with .the broadest possible bearing surfaces, whereby the crushing of the insulation will be prevented. We accomplish this object by the employment of separate inside plates, which are arranged to make direct contact under the head of each one of the rails, and which afford wide bearing surfaces for the insulation interbar. These inside lates are'preferably designed so as to a ord. the widest .possible bearing areavfor insulation on the lase of the rail, being arranged to )ermit ille insulation to come in against e web-of the railA adjacent -toits foot. -This desigt per- '1nits the use of a minimum amount oiinetal 1n the inner bars, l'which will only extend down suliiciently far to Vpermit their web members to engage the bolts, whereby they are held from slipping out endwise, as well as leaving a space at the Avbase ofthe rail, which is necessary to provide for an insulated bearing surface. '.Ihese inside plates afford a wide bearing under the head and permit the maximum bearing on the foot of the rail for an insulated outside bar, lwhich gives the required vertical and lateral stiffness to thel joints. -These same features may, however, be'usedin a positive ljoint where insulation is not employed.

lhe precise nature of our inventionV will, be best understood Iby reference to the accompanying drawings, in which'wehave shown a ynumb/er `of `modifications thereof,

which will now :be described, it lbeing `pre- Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Get. i9, 191.09. Application filed December 27, 1907. Serial No. 08,294.

f mised, however, that our invention is susceptible of various otherl modifications.

"In the drawings, the numeral 2 vwherever seen designates one of the rails, the numeral the inner bar, and the numeral Il the outer 5 designates the joint bolts which extend thrOu-gh'the rail, and 6 designa-tes the bolts which connect the outer bars below the base of. the rails, in the forms of our invention in which this feature is employed.

In the form shown in Fig. 1,'the inside bar 3 is a wedge-shapedbar, which, instead of providing a lsingle insulating bearing face opposite the rail bearing, has two broad slanting or curved faces 3 to contact with theinsulation The other bar .4 is shown as having a corresponding-inner bearing face 4 for the insulation with a lip or flange 7, which extends inwardly under the insulating block 8. The outer having a portion 4b extending around and underneath the base of the rail and support- -infr a block 1l, also having` a bo ting flange 8. 9 designates insulation interposed between the outer bearing surface 3' of the inside bar 3 and the inner ,bearing surface 4 of the outer bar 4. l() is insulation which is interposed between the outer bar 4 and the base flange of the rail. Supporting blocks are placed between the under side of the base flange of the rail and the inwardly extending por-tions atb of the outer bars. Instead of insulating wooden blocks, metal blocks or bars may be used with insulationbetween them and the out.- side bars. The downwardly extending meinber of the inner bar is at a considerable distance from theweb of the rail, thus permitting the use of the block 8 as inside insulation as well `as to form a wcdging support.

In the form bar has a very broad ldownwardly andin-A wardly slanting supporting face on the outer side of its tapering lower member. In

this form, a wooden block 12 isfitted intothe inner angle ofthe outer bar, and the insulat-ing Apiece 13 is interposed between the slanting bearing' Iface `of the inner bar and the inner face of the block `12 and is eX- tended 'to .prevent any. metallic Contact between the lnner and outer bars. lt also depending shown in Fig. 2, the insideA bar is also shown as rail and the corresponding portion of the buter bar` This is a very desirable design,

as it permits the use of the full width of the base of the rail for the insulation. The block 12 is preferably used as a filler, but the outside bar' might. be -formed to fill this space. The outer bar on the block acts as a wedge to keep the parts tight, and as the bearing faces are .very wide and flexible, the insulation is much harder to destroy by the pinching action, which is so etten found in joints where the insulation is placed between the narrow rigid faces at right angles to the acting forces.

The forni in Fig. e shows the use of a wood block le, in combination with the inside bearing bar and the outside 'girder bar which supports a block 14a under.thc`

base of the rail. The inside bar has its tapering depending flange fitting against the web olf the rail and the under face of its upper member is curved or formed at an angle over the top of the bloclr14, for the purpose ol increasing the bearing face. 15 is a washer which provides a vertical bolt- 'ing face for the depending langed member of the outer bar;

In the .form shown in Fig. 5, the under or outer face of the inner bar is inclined downwardly and inwardly 'at a greater angle than is shown in Fifi. 4,' so that the downwardly' extending mem er may 'act vt'o a still greater extent in Carrying the load. This inner bar also permits the insulation to contact with the web of the rail adjacent to its base. The

outer bar and the insulation are shown as extending horizontally under the-railbase, as at 16, to form aA chair, and long bolts are not employed below the rail' base. The wooden block g17 in this form acts as a wedge or filler. N

vIn the form shown in Fig. 6, the inner ,bar is in the form of an extension plate, whose'tapering1 depending member fits the web of the rail and `terminates at its' lower end'at about the center of the bolt holes. The insulationl 18 is shown littn'ig the broad under face of this plate and also `fitting the entire width of one side of thek rail base. 1.9 indicates an' insulating sleeve around the bolt. l i

Fig. 7 shows an insideextension bar with a wider face1 and ay longer tapering web member whichcxtcnds almost to the .base of the rail. The insulation 2O is hereshown as bearing along the entire width ol one side of the railbase. The outside splicing` bar also has a depending flange member to afford additional sti tfness'to the joint. In all these forms, it will be noted that the insidebar bears upwardly against the under side of the head of the rail and has an extension` outwardly beyond such head for the purpose of increasin r the bearing for the insulation. In an insu ated joint it is, of course, necessary that the inside bar be made in separate sections, so that it will not extend continuously across the joint between the rails.- This is shown in Fig. 3. In a non-insulated joint, however, thc inside bars orplates may be in one continuous piece. ln the insulated type of joint, metallic liners may be employed between the inside and outside plates at one end of the joint in place of the insulation, the insulation being used between `the outside bar and the other rail.

The lspeeial't'cature of advantage in the .use of the'inside hars or plates of the cl1aracter described results from the inwardly slanting feature of the downwardly extending tapered members. This permits a full bearing for insulation on the top of the rail base and makes the inside bar act as a su porting member to aid very materially in resisting the vertical forces; and on account of its angle to the direction ot pull ot' theI bolts, there is much less liability oi the insulation being damaged by '-.mduc tightening. The slanting faces ot' these inside bars `also lend great flenibility to the point, as well as giving the broadest possible supporting surfaces that can be attained, and aitord an arrangement of the parts which very greatly reduces the destruction of the insulation.

Vi'hilepl'e have shown our invention as applied to ordinary T-rails, it will be obvious that it may be applied to rails of any desiredsect-ion.

We claim n 1. In a rail joint, a bar or plate standing free from the rail base and contar-.ting with one rail only, said b ar having a rib or flange at its top with an under bearingiace wider -thanthe under face of the' rail head and also having a member extending down wardly from' said rib or flange nd gradi]A ally diminishing in thickness toward its lower end to form on its -nndcr face an increased bearing sui-'tace for enacting parts oft the joint, substantially as described.

2. rail joint having an inner bar or plate making direct metallic contact with at least one of the rails 'under the head, said bar .having an upper member and another member extending downwardly and tapering to' an `edge at its lower end. and an outer bar having a portion extending uiulcrneath said members,substantially as described.

.3. A rail jointv having au .inner bar or `plate making direct metallic .contact with only one rail under the head, said bar having :in upper member with an under bearing face wider than the under face of the lrail head, and a. downwardly extending member with a face inclined inwardly soiliciently to permit insulating material to congoii'taeting area on the insulation than on the 20iness" for `its entire length, and an upper poritlon contacting` with one. rail only ayt( v of the foot of the rail and said'l outer bar .'plates,.ineulated from e'aeh other, said inner platesy. said ii'inei' bars standing free from a lateral side at an angle to the' vertieahs'aid taet with the lower portion 'of the rail web` and an outer bar extending' under and supporting insulation-meaus under said inembers, substantially as described.

i. ln a rail joint, a splice bar orplate standing free t'roin the rail base and having a member contacting on one tace with at least, one ot' the rails at the under side of its head and having an opposite insulation bearing siii-tace ot' greater width than its face bearing under the rail head. said bar having a dowiiwa'rdl \'v extending member with a tiaee slantinginwhrdly-to its lower end, sub, staiitially as deseribed.

5. ln "a rail joint, airinner bar and an outer bar and insulating means between said bars, said inner bar standing free from the rail-base and having a 'dowmvardly exten( i ing member gradually diminishing iii thi v aliioy with the insulation and having a greater rail.` substantially as'deseribed. v

ln a ail joint, inner and 'outer metallic bars or plates, said. inner bar standing freeV having a-niember extending below ,the rail base, substantially as described.-

i.' In a rail joint, inner and outer bars or bai' bearing' iin'dertheihead 'of the rail aud' 'havimgf a downwardly lextei'iding member tapering to an edge at its lower end to form increased heariiigsurfaee for`-insiilati`on and said outer bar having a member extending below the -rail, substautially'as described.

Se ln a rail joint, 'inner and outer bars ortlie. rail 'foot and having a metallic bearing againstat least one of the 'ails .and a downwardly extendingmember with an inwardly` inelined/faeeto form increased bearing sui-- tures for enacting parts, and said outer bar' having .a depending .daiige below the' rail base. substi'intially as described.

i). ln a. rail joint,- a bar or,p1ate Contacting under the head of the rail and forming an`l inereased insulating sui-fare, said siiriiiiee slauting ilo\\'ii\' {rdly and invardly t0 its lower end to permit insulating mta'n'sto' contact with-the lower vportion of tfh web ot' the rail, substantially asdesei'ibed... i l0. lnv a rail joint having an inner and anl outer bar extending above-the-rail base on tliesanieAside of the rails, and a block havingineat its lower end above and standing enf iiiely free of the upper face of the rail base, and insulating material, said bar or plate having an upper member contacting with one rail only. and a lower member having an outer bearing face, said`insulation contacting with saidouter bearing face and yiwith the rail web between the-lowest ex- ;.tremity of said bar and the rail base; substantiall)v as described.-

12. In a rail joint, a bai' or plate having an upper member and a lower ineniber, the latter having` bolt-holes therethrough, said upper member having an inner face to contact under the rail head, aiid said lower member ha vinga substantially fiat under nsulation bearing yft'aee to extend in a down- -ward andinward direction from the upper and outer edge of the bar to the lowest ex tremi'tj7 of the bar, said extremity being above and free of Contact. with the-rail base;

substantially as deseribed.

13. In ar i'ail'joint, a bar or plate to contact under the head of the rail and to ter initiate at itslower end above and at a substantial distance from t-he rail foot, said bar or plate having an under face' slantin downwardly and inwardlyffroin a point; 'n

jaeent to its `top to the lowest part` of the bar'; substantially as described.

' 145111 a rail jointa bar or plate to contact under the headiof'the rail and ha'ving a .downwardly extending member tapering to an edge at its lower end,'said edge lying in# sideof a verteahplanat the outer edge of the rail head, substantially` as desribed.

15. in a rail joint haringen inner and an outer bar abovetbe railbase and abloek having alateral side at ani angleto the verti-v4 eal ,interposed beio\v'.'said inner bar and above said outer bar, substan'tmiyas` de- In testimony whereof, we have hereunto. I

setour hands. n

`WILLIAM P. THOMSQN.l ASAB'HIEL G. THOMSON. Witnesses: i A

' S. E. PATTERSON,

MCLEOD .'liroiiisoN. 

